Now on Netflix: The Coastal Crime Saga Fans of Ozark and Bloodline Can’t Stop Watching
Family secrets. Power struggles. One empire on the verge of collapse.
If dark dramas are your thing — this one’s your next binge.
👇 Dive in.

Kevin Williamson has been the genius behind everything from the horror franchise Scream to fan-favorite teen shows Dawson’s Creek and The Vampire Diaries. Now, he’s created a new hit for Netflix, The Waterfront. This time, it’s a crime drama series taking place in North Carolina. The fictional series draws inspiration from Williamson’s childhood in the state and his family’s experience as fishermen in the 1980s.

The cast boasts an impressive cast, including Mindhunter’s Holt McCallany and Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist. Debuting at No. 1 on the Netflix Global charts, The Waterfront has become everyone’s current TV obsession. But if you just finished the show and are craving something similar, there are plenty of shows that share DNA with the Netflix series.

7‘Ray Donovan’ (2013 – 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 72% | IMDb: 8.3/10

Image via Showtime

If your favorite part of The Waterfront was the family dynamics and crime, Ray Donovan is a great choice to watch. Ray Donovan follows the titular character, played by Liev Schreiber, who is a professional fixer and deals with illegal tasks for wealthy clients. Meanwhile, he deals with his family issues and his father’s (Jon Voight) unhealthy influence. Moral ambiguity and the notion of doing what “needs to be done” are present in both series.

The Showtime series ran for seven seasons, with an expected additional final season. However, Showtime canceled the series, but fan outrage led to the development of a movie to wrap up the series, which was released in 2022. Ray Donovan received 10 Emmy nominations over its seven-season run and one win for Hank Azaria in the Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series category.

6‘The Following’ (2013 – 2015)

Rotten Tomatoes: 58% | IMDb: 7.4/10

Image via Fox

Besides the Scream franchise and Dawson’s Creek, this isn’t Kevin Williamson’s first foray into a crime series. At the beginning of the 2010s, Williamson created The Following for Fox. Inspired by his favorite show, 24, Williamson wanted to have The Following on the same network. The series is led by Kevin Bacon, who plays the retired FBI agent Ryan Hardy, who is trying to recapture serial killer Joe Caroll and his new cult. Close to the beginning of the series, Hardy’s son is abducted by the cult. The Following was canceled after three seasons and 45 episodes.

The series is intense and dark, and features Williamson’s impressive ability to craft complex stories. However, The Following leans closer to a psychological thriller, while The Waterfront is more of a crime thriller. Regardless, both are high-stakes watches for fans of these genres.

5‘Queen of the South’ (2016 – 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 68% | IMDb: 8.0/10

Based on Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s book with the same name, Queen of the South was the American adaptation of the Spanish-language telenovela La Reina del Sur. Running on the USA Network, the crime series ran for five seasons. Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), a Mexican woman who escapes from a drug cartel to the United States. However, she ends up in the crime world anyway, but now as a successful businesswoman.

The series largely focuses on how Teresa navigates the male-dominated world as a Latina woman. While The Waterfront deals with the struggling business and how their decisions impact their family, Queen of the South’s Teresa struggles to juggle the criminal business she is building and her own family. The criminal world has its effects on each of their families, and both shows delve into the impact of those effects.

4‘Animal Kingdom’ (2016 – 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% | IMDb: 8.2/10

image via Warner Bros.

Family dynamics, coastal settings, and a criminal world — both Animal Kingdom and The Waterfront share these features. Inspired by the Pettingill family of Melbourne, Australia, Animal Kingdom takes place in Oceanside, California, but the series was based on the 2010 Australian film of the same name. The crime series follows Joshua, who moves in with his grandmother after his mother passes away. He soon discovers that his grandmother and her sons lead a life of crime.

The family has been involved in crime for many years, engaging in heists and other illicit activities. His grandmother, Smurf (Ellen Barkin), leads it all with an iron fist of control. Animal Kingdom ran on TNT and concluded after six seasons, and became the last original series on the network. This is the perfect choice to satisfy your The Waterfront cravings.

3‘Yellowstone’ (2018 – 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 83% | IMDb: 8.6/10

Image via Paramount Network

Generational conflict, family pride, and a family business are all center stage on Yellowstone. Both series feature powerful families in their communities who are dealing with the legacy and feature a strong sense of family versus the rest of the world. Following the Dutton family, Yellowstone revolves around the family as they navigate competition, tribal politics, and a whole lot of drama. The Waterfront has Holt McCallany as its patriarch, and Yellowstone has Kevin Costner as the leader of the family. While The Waterfront effectively utilizes its setting to enhance its storyline, so does the neo-Western Yellowstone.

Moreover, Yellowstone was a massive success for the Paramount Network and has released, as well as is developing, multiple spinoffs for the network. However, the series has been criticized for its portrayal of Native Americans. Despite these criticisms, the Yellowstone franchise is continuing to grow.

2‘Bloodline’ (2015 – 2017)

Rotten Tomatoes: 62% | IMDb: 7.8/10

Image via Netflix

The Waterfront isn’t Netflix’s first crime thriller; Bloodline was another fan favorite on the streamer. Bloodline’s influence on The Waterfront seems clear. The series also follows a family living in a coastal town. In Bloodline’s case, it’s the Rayburn family and their resort in the Florida Keys. Both series boast family secrets, crime, and testing their respective families’ loyalty.

Bloodline’s cast features multiple notable actors, including Kyle Chandler and Linda Cardellini. Chandler was nominated twice at the Emmys for this role, and guest actor Ben Mendelsohn won once. The first season was critically acclaimed; however, the following two seasons were not well received. The Netflix series ran for three seasons and 33 episodes before being canceled, leaving an ambiguous and open-ended conclusion.

1‘Ozark’ (2017 – 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 82% | IMDb: 8.4/10

Netflix

The easiest suggestion to watch after The Waterfront is Ozark. In many ways, Ozark paved the way for shows like The Waterfront to succeed. The Byrdes and the Buckleys, the Ozarks and Havenport, North Caroline, and crime for both of them. Both are crime thrillers that incorporate family dynamics into their settings, which also play a significant role. This idea that there is a beautiful place, yet hiding underneath is a dark and criminal underbelly. While The Waterfront is a viewership success for Netflix, Ozark struggled to find its audience.

Despite struggling with the audience, Ozark was a critical darling. The show received 45 Emmy nominations and won 4 of them. The cast is incredibly talented, including Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner. While The Waterfront received more mixed reviews, both series share a similar tone and address similar issues, making them a great next watch.